Method for regulating the supply of substituate during extracorporeal blood treatment and extracorporeal blood treatment device comprising a unit for regulating the supply of substituate

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method for regulating supply of substituate in an extracorporeal blood treatment with an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprising a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber and a device for supplying substituate. Moreover, the present invention relates to an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus having a device for regulating supply of substituate. Regulation of supply of substituate in the extracorporeal blood treatment takes place as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer. To regulate supply of substituate during extracorporeal blood treatment, rheological loading of the dialyzer is determined from transmembrane pressure on the dialyzer and flow resistance of the dialyzer and substituate rate is increased or reduced according to the loading. The selection of dialyzer parameters or blood parameters is therefore no longer necessary and the distinction between pre-dilution and post-dilution is also made obsolete.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a 371 national phase application of PCT/EP2010/006981 filed Nov. 16, 2010, which claims priority from German Patent Application No. DE 10 2009 055 995.7, filed Nov. 26, 2009.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for regulating the supply of substituate in an extracorporeal blood treatment with an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, which comprises a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber and a device for supplying substituate. Moreover, the present invention relates to an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment with a device for regulating the supply of substituate.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Various methods for machine-aided blood cleaning or blood treatment are used in chronic kidney failure in order to remove substances usually eliminated with urine and for fluid withdrawal. In hemodialysis (HD), the patient's blood is conveyed in an extracorporeal blood circuit through the blood chamber of a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into the blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber, while a dialyzing fluid flows through the dialyzing fluid chamber. A diffuse substance exchange essentially takes place via the membrane of the dialyzer. In the case of hemofiltration (HF), dialyzing fluid does not flow through the dialyzing fluid chamber. Only a convective substance exchange takes place. Hemodiafiltration (HDF) is a combination of the two processes.

The quantity of fluid removed from the patient via the semipermeable membrane of the dialyzer in the case of hemofiltration (HF) or hemodiafiltration (HDF) is fed back to the patient during the blood treatment as substituate, which is either made available ready for use or is obtained from the dialyzing fluid during the blood treatment. The substituate is fed to the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream and/or downstream of the dialyzer. The supply of substituate upstream of the dialyzer is referred to as pre-dilution and downstream of the dialyzer as post-dilution. The substituate rate refers to the quantity of substituate that is supplied in a specific period of time to the blood flowing in the extracorporeal blood circuit.

In order to balance fresh and used dialyzing fluid, which flows into and respectively out of the dialyzing fluid chamber of the dialyzer, use is made of balancing systems in the known blood treatment apparatuses. The balancing of fresh and used dialyzing fluid ensures that no fluid or only a specific quantity of fluid is fed to or removed from the patient.

The ultrafiltration rate at which fluid is removed from the patient is dependent on the transmembrane pressure TMP, which is defined as the pressure difference between the mean blood-side pressure and the mean dialysate-side pressure in the dialyzer. Methods and devices for determining the transmembrane pressure are generally known. EP 0 212 127 A1 and WO 2009/080258 A1, for example, describe a device for determining the transmembrane pressure.

Apart from the transmembrane pressure, the longitudinal flow resistance along the hollow fibers of the semipermeable membrane of the dialyzer on the blood side is of importance for an extracorporeal blood treatment, said longitudinal flow resistance being referred to below as the flow resistance of the dialyzer. It is known that the attenuation of pressure pulses along the hollow fibers of the membrane of the dialyzer is connected with the ratio of the amplitudes of the spectral components of the first and second harmonics to the fundamental component (WO 2008/135193 A1).

The problem underlying the present invention is to provide a method with which the regulation of the substituate rate is enabled during the extracorporeal blood treatment. Moreover, a problem of the present invention is to create an apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment with an improved regulation of the substituate rate.

According to the present invention, the solution to these problems takes place with the claimed method for regulating the supply of substituate in an extracorporeal blood treatment with an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, as well as the claimed extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are the subject-matter of dependent claims.

The method according to the present invention and the device according to the present invention are based on the fact that the regulation of the supply of substituate in the extracorporeal blood treatment takes place as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer. Account has to be taken of the fact that the substituate rate is not an independent variable which can be regulated solely as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer, since the substituate rate is connected with the ultrafiltration rate. The method according to the present invention and the device according to the present invention therefore focus on proceeding from a preset substituate rate at which substituate is fed to the patient taking account of a specific ultrafiltration rate, the preset substituate rate being increased or reduced as a function of the rheological loading of the dialyzer.

The rheological loading of the dialyzer is determined in order to regulate the supply of substituate during the extracorporeal blood treatment and to increase or reduce the substituate rate corresponding to the loading. The selection of dialyzer parameters or blood parameters is no longer necessary. Even the distinction between pre-dilution or post-dilution is obsolete.

The rheological loading of the dialyzer is preferably determined on the basis of the transmembrane pressure or a variable correlating with the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance or a variable correlating with the flow resistance, wherein the transmembrane pressure or the variable correlating with the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance or the variable correlating with the flow resistance are ascertained during the extracorporeal blood treatment. It is unimportant here how the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance are measured. The only decisive factor is that the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance or variables derived from the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance are available for the further evaluation, in order to be able to regulate the supply of substituate as a function of transmembrane pressure and flow resistance.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention makes provision to ascertain a first evaluation quantity for the purpose of evaluating the transmembrane pressure or the variable correlating with the transmembrane pressure and a second evaluation quantity for the purpose of evaluating the flow resistance or the variable correlating with the flow resistance. Both ascertained evaluation quantities then form an evaluation pair, which is characteristic of the rheological loading of the dialyzer. The transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance are preferably evaluated within an evaluation scale of 0-100%. The rheology in the dialyzer is completely described by the evaluation pair.

In a preferred embodiment, the evaluation of the dialyzer within the evaluation scale is an input parameter of a 2-dimensional matrix, which assigns to each evaluation pair (priority pair) a value which corresponds to the required change in the substituate rate.

Assigned to each evaluation pair of a large number of evaluation pairs characterising the rheological loading of the dialyzer is a specific value for the amount by which the substituate rate is to be increased or reduced from a preset volume. This assignment of the evaluation pair and the amount of the change in the substituate rate can be stored in a memory. The value by which the preset substituate rate is changed is therefore available in each case for the various evaluation pairs.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention makes provision such that, in order to determine the flow resistance or the variable correlating with the flow resistance, pressure pulses are generated in the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the dialyzer and measured downstream of the dialyzer, and that the pressure signal measured downstream of the dialyzer is split up spectrally into a fundamental component and at least one harmonic. The flow resistance or the variable correlating with the flow resistance is then determined on the basis of the ratio of the fundamental component and the at least one harmonic. The measured pressure signal is preferably split up into one fundamental component and two harmonics.

This method has the advantage that the pressure in the extracorporeal blood circuit only needs to be measured downstream of the dialyzer. As pressure pulses, it is possible to measure the pressure pulses which are generated by the blood pump disposed in the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the dialyzer, said blood pump generally being an occluding hose pump.

The method according to the present invention and the device according to the present invention can make use of the sensor system which is generally present in any case in the extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus. The evaluation of the data can take place in the central control and computing unit, which is in any case present in the extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus. The device according to the present invention and the method according to the present invention can thus be implemented without major design expenditure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An example of embodiment of the present invention will be described in greater detail below by reference to the drawings.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows the main components of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus according to the present invention in a simplified schematic representation and

FIG. 2 shows a matrix, which assigns a value corresponding to the required change in the substituate rate to each evaluation pair characteristic of the rheological loading of the dialyzer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows the main components of the blood treatment apparatus according to the present invention, which is a hemo(dia)filtration apparatus, which comprises a dialyzer (filter) 1 which is divided by a semipermeable membrane 2 into a blood chamber 3 and a dialyzing fluid chamber 4. The inlet of blood chamber 3 is connected to one end of a blood supply line 5, into which a blood pump 6, in particular a roller pump generating pressure pulses, is incorporated, while the outlet of the blood chamber is connected to one end of a blood discharge line 7, into which a drip chamber 8 is incorporated. Blood supply line and blood discharge line 5, 7 form, with blood chamber 3 of the dialyzer, extracorporeal blood circuit 9 of the hemodiafiltration apparatus. Blood supply line and blood discharge line 5, 7 are hose lines of a hose set (disposable) inserted into the hemodiafiltration apparatus.

Dialyzing fluid system 10 of the hemodiafiltration apparatus comprises a device 11 for making available dialyzing fluid, which is connected via the first section of dialyzing fluid supply line 12 to the inlet of first balancing chamber half 35 a of a balancing device 35. The second section of dialyzing fluid supply line 12 connects the outlet of first balancing chamber half 35 a to the inlet of dialyzing fluid chamber 4. The outlet of dialyzing fluid chamber 4 is connected via the first section of a dialyzing fluid discharge line 13 to the inlet of second balancing chamber half 35 b. A dialyzing fluid pump 14 is incorporated into the first section of dialyzing fluid discharge line 13. The outlet of second balancing chamber half 35 b is connected via the second section of dialyzing fluid discharge line 13 to a drain 15. An ultrafiltrate line 16, which also leads to drain 15, branches off from dialyzing fluid discharge line 13 upstream of dialyzing fluid pump 14. An ultrafiltration pump 17 is incorporated into ultrafiltrate line 16. In commercially available apparatuses, balancing device 35 comprises two parallel balancing chambers which are operated anti-cyclically. For reasons of simplification, only one balancing chamber is represented here.

During the dialysis treatment, the patient's blood flows through blood chamber 3 and the dialyzing fluid flows through dialyzing fluid chamber 4 of the dialyzer. Balancing device 35 ensures that only as much dialyzing fluid can be supplied via the dialyzing fluid supply line as dialyzing fluid can be discharged via the dialyzing fluid discharge line. A preset quantity of fluid (ultrafiltrate) can be withdrawn from the patient at a preset ultrafiltration rate with ultrafiltration pump 17. Ultrafiltration pump 17 is thus part of a device for removing fluid from the blood flowing in extracorporeal circuit 9 through membrane 2 of dialyzer 1, which is referred to as ultrafiltration device 18.

In order to feed the fluid back to the patient, the hemodiafiltration apparatus comprises a substitution device 19, with which a substitution fluid (substituate) can be fed to the blood that is flowing through arterial branch 20 (pre-dilution) and/or venous branch 21 (post-dilution) of extracorporeal blood circuit 9. Substitution device 19 comprises a device 37 for making available substituate, from which a first substituate line 36, into which a first substituate pump 22 is incorporated, leads to the section of blood supply line 5 between blood pump 6 and blood chamber 3. A second substituate line 23, into which a second substituate pump 24 is incorporated, leads from device 37 for making available substituate to drip chamber 8. If the hemodiafiltration apparatus is to be operated solely with post-dilution or pre-dilution, the one or other substituate pump together with the respective substituate line can be dispensed with.

Moreover, the hemodiafiltration apparatus comprises a central control and computing unit 25, which is connected via control lines 6′, 14′, 17′, 22′, 24′ to blood pump 6, dialyzing fluid pump 14, ultrafiltration pump 17 and first and second substituate pump 22, 24.

The extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprises a device 26 for regulating the supply of the substituate, which is represented in dashed lines in FIG. 1. Device 26 for regulating the supply of substituate is represented in FIG. 1 as a separate device. It can however also be a component of central control and computing unit 25. Device 26 for regulating the supply of substituate is connected to central control and computing unit 25 via a data line 26′, so that the regulating device can exchange data with the control unit, and in particular can correspondingly control substituate pumps 22, 24 in order to adjust substituate rate Q.

Device 26 for regulating the supply of substituate comprises means 27 for determining the rheological loading of the dialyzer and means 28 for regulating the substituate rate.

Means 27 for determining the rheological loading of the dialyzer in turn comprises means 29 for determining the transmembrane pressure on the dialyzer or a variable correlating with the transmembrane pressure and means 30 for determining the flow resistance of the dialyzer or a variable correlating with the flow resistance. The flow resistance of the dialyzer is to be understood as the longitudinal flow resistance along the hollow fibers of semipermeable membrane 2 of dialyzer 1 on the blood side.

Means 29 for determining the transmembrane pressure (TMP) can be designed in different ways. The measuring device described in EP 0 212 127 A1, for example, can be used to determine the transmembrane pressure. In the present example of embodiment, means 27 for determining the transmembrane pressure comprise a first pressure sensor 31 disposed in dialyzing fluid supply line 12 upstream of dialyzing fluid chamber 4 of dialyzer 1, a second pressure sensor 32 disposed in dialyzing fluid discharge line 16 downstream of the dialyzing fluid chamber of the dialyzer and a third pressure sensor 33 disposed in blood return line 21 downstream of chamber 3 of dialyzer 1. Pressure sensors 31, 32, 33 are connected via data lines 31′, 32′, 33′ to means 29 for determining the transmembrane pressure. Pressure P₁ upstream and pressure P₂ downstream of the dialyzing fluid chamber are measured in dialyzing fluid system 10 by pressure sensors 31 and 32 and pressure P₃ downstream of the blood chamber is measured in extracorporeal blood circuit 9 by pressure sensor 33.

Means 29 for determining transmembrane pressure TMP comprise a suitable computing unit, which calculates the transmembrane pressure according to the following equation:

${T\; M\; P} = {P_{3} - \frac{P_{1} + P_{2}}{2}}$

The ascertained value for transmembrane pressure TMP is evaluated as follows. In order to evaluate transmembrane pressure TMP, a first evaluation quantity HEMO Priority is calculated according to the following equation from the measured value for transmembrane pressure TMP and a preset lower limiting value for the transmembrane pressure TMP_(LIMIT_LOWER) and a preset upper limiting value for the transmembrane pressure TMP_(LIMIT_UPPER) as well as a preset value range for the transmembrane pressure TMP_(LIMIT_RANGE). Parameters TMP_(LIMIT_LOWER), TMP_(LIMIT_UPPER) and TMP_(LIMIT_RANGE) are ascertained empirically. HEMO_Priority=((TMP−TMP_(LIMIT_LOWER))/TMP_(LIMIT_RANGE))×100%

-   -   wherein TMP_(LIMIT_RANGE)=TMP_(LIMIT_UPPER)−TMP_(LIMIT_LOWER)

Apart from transmembrane pressure TMP, the flow resistance of the dialyzer is ascertained in order to determine the rheological loading of dialyzer 1.

Means 30 for determining the flow resistance comprise means for measuring pressure pulses, which are propagated in the longitudinal direction over the hollow fibers of the semipermeable membrane of the dialyzer on the blood side. The pressure pulses are generated by blood pump 6, which is an occluding hose pump, in particular a roller pump. In the present example of embodiment, pressure sensor 33 disposed downstream of blood chamber 3 in blood return line 21 is used to measure the pressure pulses generated by blood pump 6. A second data line 33″ therefore leads from pressure sensor 33 to means 30 for determining the flow resistance. In order to determine the flow resistance, the pressure signal measured by pressure sensor 33 is split up spectrally into a fundamental component G₀ and first and second harmonics H₁ and H₂, since the attenuation of the pressure pulses along the hollow fibers is connected with the ratio of the amplitudes of the spectral components of first and second harmonics H₁ and H₂ to fundamental component G₀. The theoretical relationship is described in WO 2008/135193 A1.

In order to regulate the substituate flow, the flow resistance is also evaluated as follows. A second evaluation quantity BLKD_priority is calculated from fundamental component G₀ and first and second harmonics H₁ and H₂ as well as empirically established parameters K_(1,2), M_(1,2) and α according to the following equation

${BLKD\_ Priority} = {\alpha \times \left( {\frac{{G_{0}/H_{1}} - K_{1}}{2M_{1}} + \frac{{G_{0}/H_{2}} - K_{2}}{2M_{2}}} \right)}$

The first and second evaluation quantities form an evaluation pair (Hemo_Priority/BLKD_Priority), which is characteristic of the rheological loading of the dialyzer.

The frequency of the fundamental component of the pressure pulses results from the control of blood pump 6. The frequencies of the first and second harmonics of the fundamental component are therefore also known. The splitting-up of the continuous pressure signal into its spectral components preferably takes place with a Fourier transform, particularly preferably by digitalising the measured values of pressure sensor 33 with a discrete Fourier transform, which is carried out in a suitable computing unit.

The advantage of the analysis of the pressure pulses for the determination of the flow resistance lies in the fact that only one sensor downstream of the dialyzer is required. A sensor upstream of the dialyzer, on the other hand, is not required. It is however also possible to determine the flow resistance or a variable correlating with the flow resistance using measurements with four pressure sensors upstream and downstream of the dialyzer on the blood side and dialyzing fluid side. It is also possible to determine approximately the flow resistance or a variable correlating with the flow resistance using a measurement with two pressure sensors downstream of the dialyzer on the blood side and dialyzing fluid side, in that the pressures upstream of the dialyzer on the blood side and dialyzing fluid side are estimated on the basis of operational parameters.

Since the rheological loading of the dialyzer is determined both on the basis of the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance, the measurement of the transmembrane pressure is sufficient with only two or three pressure sensors instead of the known measurement with four pressure sensors, although the two-point and the three-point measurement of the transmembrane pressure have not always proved to be reliable in practice, since an unsteady behaviour in the region of particularly high transmembrane pressures can occur with the two-point and the three-point measurement.

In the present example of embodiment, the transmembrane pressure and the flow resistance are evaluated in such a way that the evaluation quantities are scaled within an evaluation scale of 0 to 100%. The rheological loading of the dialyzer can be completely described as a point in a two-dimensional coordinate system. The regulation of the substituate rate is based on keeping the rheological loading inside a target area of the matrix. The regulation takes place irrespective of whether a post-dilution or pre-dilution is present.

FIG. 2 shows the two-dimensional matrix, which assigns to each evaluation pair (priority pair) a value which corresponds to the required change in the substituate rate. Consequently, a specific value for the amount of the change in the preset substituate rate is assigned to each value pair stored in the matrix. Inside the matrix there is a nominal line (value range) which connects the evaluation pairs to one another which correspond to the desired dialyzer loading. The nominal line is a line which consists mathematically of the connection in a line running linearly to the priorities and a circular line running around the priority pair (0,0). If the priority pair lies on the nominal line, the substituate rate remains unchanged. The nominal line (value range) is marked in FIG. 2 as an unshaded area. The amount of the change in the substituate rate is represented in FIG. 2 by the density of the shading. The scale on the right in FIG. 2 assigns corresponding changes in the substituate rate to the shaded areas in the coordinate system on the left. The control target here is the unshaded area (0%), which is equivalent to an unchanged substituate dose.

Required substituate rate change α is determined from the matrix in device 26 for regulating the supply of substituate. The substituate rate to be newly adjusted Q_(sub, new) is calculated as follows: Q _(sub,new) =Q _(sub,old)(1+α)

A specific ultrafiltration rate, which is set using ultrafiltration device 18, is preset for the extracorporeal blood treatment. Furthermore, a selection is made as to whether fluid is to be supplied to or removed from the patient or whether fluid is neither to be supplied to nor removed from the patient. If, for example, fluid is to be removed from the patient, central control and computing unit 25 presets a specific substituate rate. This substituate rate is then rated in such a way that less substituate is supplied to the extracorporeal blood circuit than fluid is removed via membrane 2 of dialyzer 1 by ultrafiltration device 18. This preset substituate rate is increased or reduced by device 26 in order to regulate the supply of substituate according to the method described above. The extracorporeal blood treatment is thus carried out under optimum conditions for the dialyzer.

The regulation of the substituate addition provides not only for a change in the substituate rate, but also a distribution of the supply of substituate upstream and downstream of the dialyzer (pre-dilution and post-dilution). In the case of the supply of substituate both upstream and downstream of the dialyzer, the total dilution quantity for post- and pre-dilution is changed according to the matrix. As a determining parameter for a change instruction for the total dilution quantity, use is made here of the distance of the value pair in the coordinate system characteristic of the rheological loading of the dialyzer from the coordinate origin (0,0) and the angle between the imaginary line, which runs through the coordinate origin (0,0) and the characteristic evaluation pair, and the X-axis or alternatively the Y-axis. Device 26 for regulating the supply of substituate, together with central control and computing unit 25, then sets the flow rates of substituate pumps 22 and 24 in accordance with the ascertained distance and angle. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for hemodiafiltration treatment, comprising: an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising a blood pump; a dialyzing fluid system; a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber, the blood chamber being part of the extracorporeal blood circuit, the dialyzing fluid chamber being part of the dialyzing fluid system, and the blood pump being arranged along the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the blood chamber; a substituate dose rate controller configured to increase or decrease a rate of dosing substituate to the extracorporeal blood circuit; a sensor system for ascertaining a rheological loading of the dialyzer, the sensor system comprising a three-point measuring system for measuring transmembrane pressure, and a pressure pulse measuring sensor for measuring longitudinal flow resistance along the dialyzer fibers; and a control unit in communication with the sensor system and the substituate dose rate controller, wherein the sensor system, together with the control unit, is configured to ascertain a transmembrane pressure and a longitudinal flow resistance along the dialyzer fibers, and the control unit is configured to (1) plot a first evaluation quantity (HEMO_Priority) based on a measured transmembrane pressure, (2) plot a second evaluation quantity (BLKD_Priority) based on a measured longitudinal flow resistance along the dialyzer fibers, (3) form a priority pair (HEMO_Priority/BLKD_Priority) from the first evaluation quantity and the second evaluation quantity, (4) compare the priority pair to priority pairs in a two-dimensional matrix that assigns to each priority pair a substituate dose rate increase or decrease value, (5) based on the comparison, assign a corresponding substituate dose rate increase or decrease value, and (6) control a rate of dosing substituate based on the priority pair and the corresponding assigned substituate dose rate increase or decrease value.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory having stored therein the two-dimensional matrix of priority pairs.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first evaluation quantity is scaled to be within an evaluation scale of 0 to 100%, the second evaluation quantity is scaled to be within an evaluation scale of 0 to 100%, the two-dimensional matrix comprises a two-dimensional coordinate system, and the priority pair comprises a point in the two-dimensional coordinate system.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substituate dose rate controller comprises a substituate supply device comprising a first substituate pump and being configured to supply substituate at a preset substituate rate to the extracorporeal blood circuit.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises a blood pressure sensor in sensing communication with the extracorporeal blood circuit downstream of the blood chamber, the blood pressure sensor being connected to at least two data lines.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit comprises a control and computing unit in communication, through data lines including the at least two data lines, with the sensor system, the blood pump, and the first substituate dose rate controller.
 7. An apparatus for extracorporeal blood treatment, comprising: an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising a blood pump; a dialyzing fluid system, comprising a dialyzing fluid supply line, a dialyzing fluid discharge line having incorporated therein a dialyzing fluid pump, and an ultrafiltrate line that branches off of the dialyzing fluid discharge line and has incorporated therein an ultrafiltrate pump; a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into a blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber, the blood chamber being part of the extracorporeal blood circuit, the dialyzing fluid chamber being part of the dialyzing fluid system, and the blood pump being arranged along the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the blood chamber; a balancing device that is in fluid communication with the dialyzer via a dialyzing fluid supply line and that is located upstream of the dialyzer, said balancing device comprising a first balancing chamber and a second balancing chamber, wherein the first balancing chamber and the second balancing chamber are configured to be operated anti-cyclically, and the balancing device being configured so that that only as much dialyzing fluid can flow via the dialyzing fluid supply line as dialyzing fluid can flow away via the dialyzing fluid discharge line; a substituate supply device comprising a first substituate pump, a substituate supply, and a substituate line, the substituate supply device being in fluid communication with the extracorporeal blood circuit via the substituate line, the substituate supply device being configured to supply substituate at a preset substituate rate to the extracorporeal blood circuit; a sensor system comprising a blood pressure sensor in sensing communication with the extracorporeal blood circuit downstream of the blood chamber, the blood pressure sensor being configured to generate a blood pressure signal, and the blood pressure sensor being connected to at least two data lines; a control and computing unit in communication, through data lines including the at least two data lines, with the sensor system, the blood pump, and the first substituate pump, wherein the control and computing unit is configured to (1) calculate a first evaluation quantity (HEMO_Priority) based on a sensed transmembrane pressure or variable correlating with the transmembrane pressure, (2) calculate a second evaluation quantity (BLKD_Priority) based on a sensed longitudinal flow resistance or variable correlating with the longitudinal flow resistance, (3) form an evaluation pair (HEMO_Priority/BLKD_Priority) from the first evaluation quantity and the second evaluation quantity, and (4) regulate the supply of substituate based on the evaluation pair, wherein the apparatus comprises a memory having stored therein a two-dimensional matrix of evaluation pairs and that assigns to each evaluation pair a value corresponding to a required change in substituate rate, wherein the apparatus is configured to compare the evaluation pair formed by the control and computing unit to the evaluation pairs of the two-dimensional matrix, and regulate the substituate rate by changing the substituate rate by a value corresponding to a required change and assigned to the evaluation pair by the two-dimensional matrix, wherein the sensor system further comprises: a first pressure sensor in communication with the dialyzing fluid system upstream of the dialyzing fluid chamber and located along the dialyzing fluid supply line, the first pressure sensor being configured to sense a first pressure and to generate a first pressure signal; and a second pressure sensor in communication with the dialyzing fluid system downstream of the dialyzing fluid chamber and located along the dialyzing fluid discharge line, the second pressure sensor being configured to sense a second pressure and to generate a second pressure signal, wherein the at least two data lines of the sensor system comprise a first blood pressure data line and a second blood pressure data line, and the control and computing unit is configured to receive the first and second pressure signals via respective data lines including the first and second blood pressure data lines, wherein the blood pump is configured to generate pressure pulses in the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the dialyzer, the semipermeable membrane is configured to transmit and attenuate the pressure pulses, and the control and computing unit is configured to split up a pressure signal measured downstream of the dialyzer into a fundamental component and at least one harmonic, the longitudinal flow resistance or the variable correlating with the longitudinal flow resistance being determined based on a ratio of the fundamental component and the at least one harmonic, wherein the sensor system, together with the control and computing unit, is configured to determine the transmembrane pressure, or the variable correlating with the transmembrane pressure, via the blood pressure signal, the first pressure signal, and a second pressure signal, wherein the sensor system, together with the control and computing unit, is also configured to determine the longitudinal flow resistance, or the variable correlating with the flow resistance, via the blood pressure signal but not the first pressure signal, and wherein the first evaluation quantity is scaled to be within an evaluation scale of 0 to 100%, the second evaluation quantity is scaled to be within an evaluation scale of 0 to 100%, the two-dimensional matrix comprises a two-dimensional coordinate system, and the evaluation pair comprises a point in the two-dimensional coordinate system.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control and computing unit is configured to control the first substituate pump to adjust the preset substituate rate by the value corresponding to the required change.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first substituate pump is in fluid communication with the extracorporeal blood circuit to supply substituate to the extracorporeal blood circuit upstream of the dialyzer, and the substituate supply device further comprises a second substituate pump in fluid communication with the extracorporeal blood circuit to supply substituate to the extracorporeal blood circuit downstream of the dialyzer, and the control and computing unit is configured to regulate a ratio between a quantity of the substituate supplied upstream and a quantity of the substituate supplied downstream, based on the evaluation pair. 